This data was collected as part of an effort to map beach topography efficiently
and cheaply.

Notes

The Airborne LIDAR Assessment of Coastal Erosion (ALACE)
project was a partnership between NOAA, NASA, and U.S. Geological
Survery (USGS). It has been collecting baseline coastal topographic
data for the conterminous U.S. since 1996. NOAA left the partnership
after the fall 2000 season, but USGS and NASA continue to collect data
for research purposes. This data may eventually be available via LDART.
The ALACE collections are typically targeted at a narrow strip of sandy
beach and are usually a kilometer or less in width. Many areas have
both baseline data and post-storm data. In general, this data has not
been checked with ground control, but has undergone internal
consistency checks.